After reading the first chapter, writing with Style, from “Thinking Well”, by John R. Trimble, he made it seem as if he was writing about my writing when he explained a novice writer. Trimble explains how a novice writer would write by giving examples of how their style of writing looks like. For example, Trimble explains how new writers unconsciously write and how they are not aware of their egocentrism. He states what a novice would have to achieve objectivity, empathy, courtesy and social sensitivity in order for him to have a readable style. Trimble then discusses what makes a veteran writer and how their thinking process reflects their writing situation.
As I was reading Melissa Duffy’s “Inspiration, and Craig Vetter’s “Bonehead Writing,” I found myself connecting with Vetter’s paper more than Duffy’s. I found that the presentation in “Bonehead Writing” to capture my attention, and that Vetter’s feelings about writing was similar to my opinion on writing. Through his wording and humor, I think Craig Vetter wrote the best essay. I find that the wording and presentation of an article or essay influences my opinion of the writer, and it affects how I receive the idea they are trying to present to me. Craig Vetter uses a blunt approach to convey his idea that writing is nearly impossible to teach, and describes writing as “A blood sport, a walk in the garden of agony every time out.”
Parrott states to improve the writing of new writers we must uplift them not lower their writing self-esteem. “Indeed, the key to improving novice writers’ experiences is improving how they think about their work”(Parrot,73). Writers are the first to critique their work and if they have negative thoughts about their work it would reflect on their work by improving their perspective students would improve their papers and refine their writing skills. The author claims training is necessary to master the skill of writing, having technique is never enough. “Persistence emphasizes that experience is more powerful than unchangeable ability, and challenges help move writers forward rather than delaying their progress”(Parrott,73).
Annotated Bibliography: Bunn, Mike. “How to Read Like a Writer.” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, vol. 2, Parlor Press, 2011, pp. 70–86.
Some people may be able to make a cup of tea, get out their journal, and write until their pen runs out of ink. However, for other people, they may open a Microsoft Word document and stare blankly while their cursor flickers. These scenarios may be due to the writer’s attitude towards writing. Often these attitudes towards writing were shaped early in a writer’s life. Frequently, people were pressured, especially in academic settings, to have correct grammar while simultaneously having catchy intros and fluid transitions.
In "Ten Ways To Think About Writing" E. Shelley Reid tells us how we should write and how to do so. Her main points are to write what you know and to be very detailed. Reid in the very beginning gives you three tips, (1) write about what you know, (2) show do not just tell, (3) adapt to the audience. I should approach writing by writing about what I know, if I ramble on about something I know nothing about my audience will see right through me. Likewise if I am not being detailed enough I could lose my audience due to a lack of communication.
Writing is an essential part of an individual’s success. Writing comes in many forms, and it is not only used in an English course. It can be an email to a college professor, a resume, a lab report, a hotel review, etc. There are countless forms are writing, and it is important to understand how to approach each piece of writing. Writing is part of an individual’s daily life, and understanding the importance of rhetorical knowledge, genre knowledge, and audience awareness with make it easier to approach different types of writing, and ultimately improve one’s writing skills.
In this short passage by William Zinsser, Zinsser used compare and contrast to inform the readers about his personal opinions of being a writer. Due to different understandings and opinions on how to be a good writer, Zinsser decided to use compare and contrast in order to present a clean and detailed differences to the reader about how different people’s writing style can vary. By doing this, it would be extremely helpful for the readers to distinguish the differences of each writing style, see the benefits and disadvantages, and ultimately gather enough information to decide which style fits them the best. At the panel with Dr. Brock, Zinsser gave the audience a broader view of different writing styles and how they contribute differently.
Historically, higher education has been an exclusive environment. Throughout my timeline entries, I focused around the themes of increasing access for students and faculty at institutions of higher education. Higher education first expanded access in terms of religion. The colonial colleges—Harvard, William and Mary, and Yale—were all established as “adjuncts of their respective churches,” and labeled as the “Reformation Colleges” (Geiger, 2011, p. 38).
“This book has one purpose: to help you improve your writing style,” Lucile Vaughan Payne wrote in the introduction to her book. Upon reading that statement, I gave a flippant, haughty snort and flipped the page, expecting an uninteresting book void of any enlightenment. As I began reading, however, the low expectations I had for this book vanished. Not only does The Lively Art of Writing explain the intricacies behind excellent writing, but it also showed magical ways of attaining actually good style. Instead of enumerating the components of style clinically like any other instructional book I’ve read so far, this book detailed the elements that contribute to style in the English language.
No writer will express an event or thoughts the same within an article of text, which is why the expression of text is so important. If a writer develops a liking for a certain style of writing, it is possible for them to adapt to the style. As a result, writers become better at writing as they learn to continue writing as a
A rising issue in today’s society is deciding whether or not college is worth the cost. There is an extreme amount of pressure that is forced upon high school students by parents, teachers, and peers to further their education and attend college. However, there is research that challenges the thought that college is the best possible path for a person to take. College may be a great investment for some people, but it is not meant for everyone. This is supported by the arguments that colleges are expensive, jobs do not always require a college degree, and students are forced to choose a lifestyle before being exposed to the real world.
As a child, reading was a large component in my life. I remember lying on my bedroom floor reading with contentment for hours on end. Although both my mother and father inspired me to read, my mom taught me how by sitting me in her lap, helping me sound out the letters, and teaching me how to say the words. I believe that she is responsible for inspiring me to make good grades throughout my educational career, and even at an early age, to take pride in reading and writing no matter how unimportant my generation perceived them to be. Reading and writing has been the foundation of my education.
Writing essays and other types of posts has always been difficult for me. But, throughout this composition class, I have learned many interesting and new things about the different types of writing styles. When starting this class, I considered myself to be an average writer with run-of-the-mill vocabulary, ordinary sentence structure and typical finished products. This class has helped me greatly improve my writing skills in a variety of ways. I have learned multiple things by taking this class, such as new ways to approach writing and that there is much that I still need to learn about composition.
